Do you have a passion for questions about religion, philosophy of life, and society as a whole? Do you like to participate in discussions? Do you like preparing these topics for others in a methodical and didactic manner? Do you harbor a pastoral interest for others and have an empathetic nature? Then the Catholic Theology degree program is for you! 

As a student in the Catholic Theology degree program, you will need proficiency in the languages of biblical and Christian tradition throughout your studies. For basic theological research, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, as well as English language skills are important. The language requirements can be fulfilled by submitting state certificates or state-recognized certificates (Latinum, Graecum, Hebraicum). 

If you have not mastered these languages yet, it is also possible to acquire the necessary skills during your studies up until the 6th academic semester. At the Faculty of Catholic Theology, separate language courses are offered for this purpose, which are tailored to the requirements of the study program. Those who begin their studies without proficiency in Latin and/or Greek are exempt from the Hebraicum requirement. In this case, only basic Hebrew skills from a course of 4 semester hours per week need to be proven.

The Catholic Theology degree program is composed of four subject groups. You will attend different courses from all subject groups:

• Biblical Theology:
  What are the contents of the Old and New Testament texts and what meaning do they hold as a message from God to humanity? 
• Historical Theology: 
  How were Christian beliefs spread? How was life shaped by these beliefs in different eras up to and including the present? 
• Systematic Theology: 
  How can the belief in God’s creation of the world be understood? What did Jesus Christ mean for God’s relationship with humanity? What is the role of the church in the dissemination of faith? What tenets should guide responsible action in politics and business? 
• Practical Theology: 
  How is humanity’s relationship to God appropriately expressed in religious celebrations? How can the Christian faith be disseminated in a contemporary way? Which legal requirements guide church activities? How can pastoral care be responsibly aligned to people’s concrete needs? 

The degree program is separated into two phases of study:

• Study Phase I (semesters 1-6): theological basis, development, and consolidation
  In the first phase of study, you will gain insight into the variety and unity of the theological disciplines. You will become familiar with the contents and methods of the four subject groups mentioned, and you will learn the connections between the individual theological subjects.
  The advanced phase allows you to study exemplary key issues of Christian thought and behavior in different societal contexts. Each module will focus on central aspects regarding human questions of meaning and orientation as well as the realities of Christian life. 

• Study Phase II (semesters 7-10): specialization
  In the specialization phase, you can expand upon your knowledge and skills through required elective subjects in the area of your choosing. Specialized study elements such as seminars, humanities-related, interdisciplinary, and interreligious study sections, electives, pastoral-psychological, rhetoric and church-musical sections all encourage targeted specialization.

Weighting of the degree program content

Stays abroad

Would you like to live abroad for a semester or a year? Do you want to learn another language and get to know a new culture? Or gain a different perspective on your particular subject? A stay abroad provides you with the perfect opportunity to achieve this and is possible with every degree program – either self-organized or by taking advantage of one of the popular exchange programs. This is made possible by various cooperation agreements and partnerships with foreign universities.

For more information on this topic, please visit our websites on studying abroad. Visit our student exchange platform for an overview of cooperating universities in your field.

This program of study does not require you to spend time abroad, but you nevertheless have the opportunity to do so.

We highly recommend that you use your studies for a stay abroad.

Internships

The Catholic Theology degree program includes a mandatory internship of at least three weeks. You can choose between

• School internships (Gymnasium)
• Parish internships or a type of pastoral care (hospital, prison, nursing home, etc.) 
• Church music internships
• Alternative internships (business, journalism, newspaper, radio, television, museum, academy, publishing house, industry) 

Voluntary internships are another good opportunity to obtain more in-depth insight into a professional field.

An internship allows you to discover whether everyday life in a particular occupation suits your career expectations and interests. You can gain qualifications for a professional field and acquire important professional and personal skills to start a career. An internship helps you both shape your career path, and mold the remainder of your course sequence – in particular by selecting specializations that suit your practical experience.

You can find further information and relevant internships on the Career Service website.

Typical professional fields after completing a theological degree program

Within the church 

• Church and spiritual vocations:  Priest, pastoral assistant with pastoral scope of activities, e.g., in schools and universities, in hospitals, prisons
• Employment in social establishments and aid organizations of the Catholic church: Caritas, Missio, etc.
• Employment in church administration: ordinariates, department management
• Psychological pastoral advice centers

In education: 

• School teaching: catholic religious education in all types of state schools and schools under church sponsorship, as well as teaching ethics and philosophy after additional studies
• Academic career path: universities of applied sciences, universities, academic collaboration with academies  

The Catholic Theology degree program also qualifies you for a variety of other professional fields. In addition to the ability to critically examine religious issues, you will also have acquired basic knowledge of cultural studies. This not only contributes to a better understanding of European identity and society, but also enables intercultural and interreligious dialogue. 

Due to the thematic and methodological skills acquired during your studies, you will have a skill set that encompasses structured and creative thinking and argumentation, articulate written and oral expression, a high level of motivation, a willingness to learn, self-reflection, and empathy. These competences open up more fields to you: 

• With additional training such as in a Catholic journalism school (e.g., the Institut zur Förderung publizistischen Nachwuchses in Munich), a career in television, radio, and newspapers is possible
• Publishing, copy editing, libraries, museums
• Integration and development cooperation
• Politics and environmental organizations
• Private sector: business consultancy, corporate communication, and human resources
• Personal development: advising, coaching

Not sure what to do after graduation? Don’t worry!

A university degree generally does not prepare you for a single profession but qualifies you for a wide range of career paths – for example, in research, in a typical profession related to your field of study, or in one of many other academic fields.

This is why career orientation is also part of your studies. Gaining practical experience is key, and you can do so through internships, working student positions, part-time jobs or voluntary work, for example.

JGU’s Career Service will support you throughout the entire process with information, advice, workshops and numerous events – from career orientation and working on your profile and skills to finding your dream job and successfully applying for it.